The Thunder Bear
by Cochise1936
Summary: I wrote this short story for a challenge that we had—to write a Bonanza Tall Tale. Hope y'all enjoy!


As the thunder crashed overhead and lightning lit up the little boy's bedroom, a shrill scream of fear sounded throughout the house.

"PAPA! MAMA!"

In the bedroom across the hall, Ben and Marie Cartwright were scrambling to get free of the tangled bed sheets and into their dressing robes. Adam was already ahead of them, and Hoss before him.

When the three oldest Cartwrights reached Little Joe's bedroom, Hoss was already there, his baby brother held tight in his arms.

"Shhh, Little Joe, it's okay baby. That ol' thunder ain't gonna hurt ya", Hoss soothed over the youngest's sobs. "Doncha know what thunder is?"

His three-year-old brother looked up at him through teary green eyes. "It's scary! Make it go away!", he cried.

But Hoss wasn't giving up so quickly. "Little Joe, have you ever heard of the Thunder Bear?"

Ben, Marie, and Adam looked at each other with puzzled looks on their faces from their position in the hall, just outside Joe's open door. "Thunder Bear?", Ben whispered. "What in the world is a thunder bear?"

"Beats me", Adam said. "Let's see if Hoss will elaborate."

The three nodded in agreement and listened.

Hoss rocked his brother gently back and forth as he told his story.

"A long long time ago, there was this big ol' grizzly bear. He was so ornery and wiley there weren't a man nowheres that could take him down. In fact, no one _wanted_ to take him down, he was so big and scary. But what they didn' know 'bout him was that he was really a special Indian spirit animal. He never attacked people, but he kept guard over the forest." Hoss paused to check on his brother, who was listening intently even though the storm raged outside, whimpering only occasionally. He gave the child a smile and continued his story.

"Well, the ol' grizzly had bin guardin' the forest fer a long time, and he was getting old and tired. The Spirit Chief told him that he could either go back to being a regular bear, and sleepin' all winter, but he might get killed by hunters. Or, he could come and live with the Chief and all the other Animals who had completed their life journeys. They get to sleep forever an' ever.

The grizzly decided that he would come and live with the Chief, because he was old and would rather sleep forever than maybe get killed."

Joe's eyelids were beginning to droop, and he asked sleepily, "But where does the thunder come from?" He stuck his left thumb in his mouth and began to suck contentedly.

"Well now, I ain't got ta that part yet! Be patient, youngin!" He smiled so Little Joe would know he was joking. "Now, as I was sayin', the grizzly went ta go live with the Chief. But, none of the other Animals wanted the bear up there. Ya know why?"

Joe shook his sleepy head no. "Why didn't they like the nice bear?"

"Because...he snored!"

Little Joe started to giggle. "Like you, Hoss?"

"Yep, like me. But there was nothin' the Chief could do about it. So now, when we hear thunder, it's just that ol' grizzly snorin' away. Since he's a nice fella, there ain't no reason ta be afraid. And Joe—" Hoss lifted his baby brother's chin. "Iffen that Thunder Bear ever gets too loud, ya kin come an' sleep with me. Ya know how loud my snores are, ya won't be able to hear his!"

Little Joe nodded slightly, already drifting off in his brother's arms as the storm died down.

Hoss sat quietly, rocking his baby brother until he felt him go limp in his arms. He gently laid the boy on his bed and tucked the blankets around him, dropping a kiss on his forehead before leaving the room. He nearly bumped into his other family members on the way out. "Oh, hi Pa, Ma, Adam. What're y'all doin' out here?"

"Oh, we just wanted to hear the story", Ben said, his eyes twinkling. "I haven't heard that one before, son."

Adam joined in. "Yeah Hoss, I've heard you tell some tall tales, but I think this is the tallest yet!"

Marie smiled at their middle boy. "It was a wonderful story, Hoss, and Little Joe enjoyed it very much. But, I think we should all get to bed now, we have church tomorrow morning." She kissed both her step-sons on the forehead and blew a kiss into her baby's room.

The Cartwrights then went their separate ways, each snuggling into their bed, as the last low growls of the Thunder Bear were heard.


End file.
